Construction of railway-tracks



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

T. H. GIBBON.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY TRACKS.

No. 458,657. Patented Sept. 1, 1891.

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T. H. GIBBON. CONSTRUCTION OF RAIL-WAYTRAGKS.

No. 458,657. Patented Sept. 1, 1891.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. GIBBON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE DUPLEX STREET RAILIVAY TRACK COMPANY, OF WEST VIRGINIA.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY-TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,657, dated September 1, 1891. Application filed November 28,1890; Serial No. 372,949. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. GIBBON, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Railway-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway-tracks which. are constructed principally or entirely of metal; and the objects of my invention are to provide a simple and enduring track, to remove the jolting and jarring when passing over the frogs and crossings, to dispense with bolts and nuts, and to make a continuous contact of metal at the joints without wiring, as is the usual method for contact for electrical propulsion, to give freedom for expansion and contraction of the rails, and to prevent spreading and creeping of track. I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are herein referred to and form part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of frog or crossing. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 3 is an isometrical view of same, showing bifurcations to receive the girders of the trackrails. Fig. 4: is an isometrical View of automatic lock-wedge which looks the rails in position; Fig. 5, a side elevation of transverse tie-bars, which connect the frog or crossing aud track-rails together.

As represented in the drawings, Aindicates my frog or crossing as constructed in accordance with this improvement. Said frog or crossing is preferably made of cast metal, having at the center and at each end large base-plates a, which rest upon stone or cement foundations prepared for that purpose. It is also provided with an apron b at the ends and sides, designed as a wall to support paving in position, and with deep parallel grooves c at each end to receive the pendent flange or flanges of railway-rails, which, when seated in the grooves of the frog or crossing, form a channel or grooved rail for the passage of the flange of the Wheels of the cars. It will be observed that when the traclorail O is connected with the frog or switch-piece the solid head of rail B covers the connection, and by this mode of lap-jointing the track becomes used.

cation of the frog or switch-piece.

continuous and the great jarring now experienced on passing over frogs and switches is absolutely obviated.

I have shown a track-rail in duplex having two pendent flanges; but other types may be The primary section B of said duplex rail has a vertical web (Z and a head 8, whose under face seats upon the face of the bifur- The secondary section 0 is made with a horizontal flangef, having on one edge of its upperface a longitudinal head g, and on the under side directly under the head there is a pendent longitudinal flange h. The pendent flanges of rails 13 C are slotted at stated intervals to receive the automatic wedge. The tie-rodD is a metal bar of sufficient length to extend transversely from the frog or switch-piece to the chair of the opposite located track. Said tie-bars are notched, as at 76, to the gage required near each end to receive the girder of the track-rail B and C, and thereby the tracks are securely held from spreading apart to destroy established gage, an d from rocking either toward or from each other to disturb the proper level of the track. The automatic key E is wedgeshaped, and preferably made of malleable metal. At'oue end itis bifurcated, as at l, and has harpoou-shaped points. The other end is provided with a shoulder-head m. The length between the harpoon-points and the shoulders is governed by the width of metal it has to lock together. The bifurcation n in the wedge-key, when being driven through the mortises of the frogs, the rails, and chairs, becomes closed; but when passed through, the prongs spring open, the face of the harpoon fitting close to the inner wall of casting, the inside face of shoulder fitting closely to the other face of casting, thus automaticallylocking the rails and frogs and crossings firmly together. The mortises o in the frogs and rails are longer than the wedge-key. This is to provide for longitudinal expansion and contraction of tracks-ails.

The mode of laying this track is as follows: The frog or crossing A is first located on the foundation prepared for that purpose. Then the tie-bars D are passed through the mortises o in the frog and oppositely-located chair, the notches in the tie-bar being in line with the grooves c in the castin Then the girder of rail 0 is dropped into the grooves c of-the frogs and notch of tie-bar Then girder of rail 13 is dropped into the other groove 0' of frog and notch of tiebar but in such manner that the solid head of rail B covers the connection of rail 0 with frog A, thus making a continu ous track. through the slots in the casting and mortises in the rail, covering the tie-bar and absolutely looking all the parts together and gaging the track.

I claim as my inventio11- 1. The combination of the rails, a grooved and mortised switch-piece, the tie-rods, and

automatic Wedge-keys so arranged as to form a lap-joint or continuous rail, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A frog or switch-piece having enlarged baseplates, also provided with deep grooves for the reception of Web of rail, and mortises Then the Wedge-key E is driven for the reception of tie-bars and wedge-keys, the rails when in position in the frog or switch piece forming a continuous bearing=surface for tread and a groove for flange of the carwheel, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a frog or metal switch-piece fitted with grooves and mortises and so arranged as to form with rails a lapjoint or continuous track, the rails being secured in the frog and the latter held in position by the notched metal tie-rod.

4. The combination of a frog or metal switch-piece, rails, tie-bars for holding the same in position, and an automatic Wedge-key for securely looking all parts together, as and for the purpose specified.

THOMAS H. GIBBON.

WVitnesses:

F. E. KEELY, JOHN D. ELWELL. 

